A graduate of Bologna’s Carpigiano Gelato University (the Ivy League of ice cream), Lisa Valmorbida honours its recipe of small batches, churned every day with fresh fruit. There’s an excellent chocolate, of course, but ever-changing flavours scooped from the stainless steel pozzetti will expand your horizons – past instalments include milk chocolate stracciatella with makrut lime and coconut. Seasonal celebration gelato cakes are another big thing: this year’s Christmas pandoro gelato cake is a multi-layered beauty of chocolate semifreddo, cherry cream and pandoro along with three types of gelato (sour cherry, strawberry and cream and redcurrant stracciatella, since you asked). Multiple locations; pidapipo.com

Billy Van Creamy started life as a food truck (the clue is in the name) and has since grown into a trio of minimalist stores going maximalist on the flavour. Made without stabilisers and additives, the in-house philosophy for the all-natural selection extends to the biscuit crumbs, fruit jams and all the rest. The thick and creamy vanilla will elicit a wave of nostalgic feels for classic ice creams of summers past – order it in sundae form and you might find yourself wiping away a few tears – while flavours like raspberry and white nectarine deliver the goods for the vegans. Multiple locations; billyvancreamy.com.au

The deft intermingling of traditional Italian gelato and a wild whirl of Filipino flavours has seen Kariton Sorbetes spawn its own Melbourne sub-cult. John Rivera has introduced Melbourne (and more recently, Sydney) to the joys of keso, the cheddar cheese flavour that remains the benchmark of the operation, while spreading the ambit further with flavours like durian and chiffon cake with palm sugar jelly, and ube halaya – a vivid purple yam gelato with yam fudge and blackberry jam. A new special flavour hits the stores every two weeks: recent instalments have included a play on the TikTok-trendy Dubai chocolate. Multiple locations; karitonsorbetes.com

This is what happens when two pastry chefs get together and create a Japanese-inspired gelato and sorbet range. Former Coda chef Joane Yeoh and co-founder of Luxbite patisserie Bernard Chu evoke the humid fug of a Tokyo summer with a core range of signature flavours that includes a fresh and zingy Fuji apple; a lychee Pocari Sweat, paying citrus-led homage to Japan’s favourite sports drink; and a dark chokorēto so intense, it should come with a warning for insomniacs. The Hokkaido cheesecake is another winner, with weekly seasonal specials adding further temptation. Grab a tub to thrill the family. Multiple locations; kori-icecream.com.au

It’s a fair bet Emma Nicholas-Jennings was the most popular kid in school – you would have been too, if your parents had owned two gelato shops. At button-cute Miinot, she parlays her lifetime of experience, including scooping duties at Brunetti Classico, into a range of cool flavours. The burnt fig has become the standard bearer for the Melville Road operation, but the ever-changing array of fruity goodness is a reason to swing by daily, just to see what they’ve dreamt up this time. They had us at ‘mandarin souffle’, while the lemon, lime and bitters is a vegan delight. 71 Melville Rd, Pascoe Vale South; miinotgelato.com

The sweet bookend to 400 Gradi’s globally acclaimed pizzas, the gelato arm of the empire is equally committed to the way things ought to be. Owner Johnny Di Francesco schlepped to Italy for two years to learn the classic techniques as shown by his excellent pistachio, considered the gelato benchmark to the pizza world’s margherita. Nutella is also wildly popular, Di Francesco says, while the rainbow flavour goes straight for the jugular of the primary school set. If you’re wondering what a rainbow tastes like, it’s a wild mix that “kind of tastes like bubblegum”. Waffles, crepes and sweet pizzas round out the offering. Multiple locations; 400gradi.com.au

A gelato story so epic, it needs to be turned into a movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, Gelato Messina has now spread its tentacles from the eastern seaboard to South and Western Australia and Hong Kong. Queue with confidence at its five Melbourne shops, where satisfaction is guaranteed in the form of 35 classic flavours and five weekly specials. The indecision is real, but we’d recommend starting with the chocolate and choc-adjacent (the Nutella-esque chocolate and hazelnut gianduia is a standout) before graduating to creative combos like pear and rhubarb or a frozen tribute to the Wagon Wheel. Multiple locations; gelatomessina.com

Give gelato a run for its money with the Turkish alternative, dondurma. The distinctively stretchy texture and toothy appeal (the hallmarks of mastic resin and orchid tuber flour known as salep) are a welcome new addition to the Australian ice cream canon, while the ‘cup or cone?’ dilemma is just as familiar. Owner Harun Yalcin has been broadening Melbourne’s iced confection horizons at the Northcote OG since 2017, complete with ice cream sandwiches, while at the newer Campbellfield operation, he’s one half of a food dream team, with Ismail Tosun’s Miksa Food Truck providing the perfect Turkish street food bookend. Multiple locations; cuppaturca.com

The top end of town keeps its cool thanks to this artisan gelato spot dealing out the good stuff from its shiny-lidded pozzetti, inside which lurk flavours such as a best-in-show pistachio made with DOP pistachios from Sicily. Experimental flings have included apple crumble, black sesame and chocolate fudge with walnut, but when it’s scorching on Spring Street, nothing beats a good ol’ lemon sorbet. Part of the Spring Street Grocer, this is also a good spot to pick up cheese from the downstairs cellar and lunch in the form of swoon-worthy porchetta rolls. Come hungry, and expect to linger. 157 Spring St, Melbourne; springstreetgrocer.com.au

The Italian KPIs of Yarraville’s village rose significantly with the 2022 arrival of Luigi ‘Gigi’ Pozzoli, a Milan-born chef rocking the classic gelato moves. The first Victorian gelataria to be Slow Food accredited, the cute shop Pozzoli runs with partner Sue Yong is all about the handmade and the heavenly. The licorice gelato is a benchmark for the divisive flavour’s tribe of fans, the Boero is a tribute to the popular Italian chocolate-covered cherry liqueur candy, or keep it simple with a refreshing strawberry sorbet. Word to the wise: there’s also a chocolate fountain that you can dip wafers into. 15 Anderson St, Yarraville; gigisgelato.com.au

Luther’s is the kind of ice creamery that inspires fierce loyalty – if someone’s a Luther’s fan, they’ll tell you. It regularly sees queues down the block, yet despite three inner-north locations, it still feels like the kind of neighbourhood shop you’d stumble upon in a country town. Flavours are small-batch, seasonal and often draw on comfort food favourites – with past hits like blueberry cheesecake, banana bread and key lime pie, along with stalwart classic favourites like butterscotch ripple. Vegan options are equally considered, including bright fruit sorbets and creamy non-dairy scoops that never feel like an afterthought. It’s unfussy and reliably excellent. Multiple locations; luthers.com.au

When it comes to traditional Italian gelato, few take the craft as seriously as Piccolina. Everything is made in-house using a traditional family method passed through generations – milk, cream, sugar and house-made ingredients, with no pastes or artificial flavours. The caramel in the salted caramel, the pistachio butter in the pistachio and the hazelnut butter in the ‘Better Than Nutella’ flavour are all made from scratch. That attention to detail means that the hero ingredients shine across every flavour. For celebrations, Piccolina also offers show-stopping gelato cakes and sandwiches that are produced on-site daily. Multiple locations; piccolinagelateria.com.au

This globally inspired ice cream shop draws on dishes and ingredients from around the world, translating them into expressive scoops that celebrate culture through food. The Thai mango sticky rice flavour has become a signature, while other rotations reference Korean hwachae (fruit punch), Dubai chocolate or tahini and grape molasses served with a small wedge of Turkish bread. The menu is bright and creative, with enticing illustrations accompanying each flavour, just to make your decision even harder. But the ice creams themselves are well balanced. Best of all, the shop is open 365 days a year, so you can always get your fix. 316 Brunswick St, Fitzroy; gooddazecanteen.com

This suburban gelateria may not have the name recognition of bigger operators, but locals know it as a standout. Each flavour begins with a rich base of free-range eggs, Jersey milk and St David Dairy cream before being layered with fresh fruit or house-made additions. Many combinations lean sweet/savoury – think brown butter and miso cheesecake, ricotta and mandarin, or Earl Grey with candied walnuts – though the classic options hold their own. Scoops are generous, the texture is silky and the flavours are unexpectedly deep. While gelato is the focus, desserts like tiramisu, apple crumble and lemon meringue pie are also worth exploring. 82 Koornang Rd, Carnegie; nuvolettagelateria.com.au

Operating since 2001, Jock’s is a bona fide Melbourne institution. It doesn’t chase trends or modernise for the sake of it, instead keeping things straightforward and timeless. Choose from four cones – including a double-wrapped waffle cone or a twin-scoop cake cone – before browsing the range of crowd-pleasing flavours: hokey pokey, Turkish delight, pavlova, mint choc chip and more. The fruit-driven sorbets are equally appealing, and any flavour can be spun into a thickshake or spider. It’s a neighbourhood stalwart and an ideal stop before or after a walk along the beach. 83 Victoria Ave, Albert Park; jocksicecream.com.au